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By Rhaydz B. Barcia,
Correspondent
LEGAZPI CITY: While the Supreme
Court has brought “Justice on Wheels” right at the doorstep of
the poor people, there are 2,000 salas throughout the country
lacking judges, which has resulted to a backlog of cases in local
courts nationwide, observed Chief Justice Reynato Puno,
“This is true in regions or
areas with peace in order problems, where they have to deal with
insurgency or the MILF. There are precently 19 percent backlog cases
all over the country. The backlog is more serious in the trial
courts than the appellate courts,” Puno said.
“One of the primary reasons why
our Judges are afraid to apply to fill in the vacant salas is due to
fear for their lives. Several of our Judges have been killed. If
media is the number one victim of killings in the country, second to
media killings are the members of the Judiciary, particularly the
Judges,” The Chief Justice continued.
Besides fear for their safety,
there are no takers for the position considering the low
compensation package, specially in conflicted areas.
Puno admitted that the biggest
problem of the judiciary department concerns its budget as provided
by government. He said the judiciary has been allotted less than one
percent of the total budget of government for over a hundred years.
“There are towns and cities
across the country without a Hall of Justice like in the city of
Manila. If we have at least two-percent of the total budget of the
government, at least we could satisfy the needs of the judiciary. We
can build more Halls of Justices in the country,” Puno lamented.
Chief Justice Puno, accompanied
by Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, the Justice in Wheels committee
chairperson, led court officials on Saturday in bringing the mobile
court project to the grassroots areas in Bicol.
Puno launched the mobile court
program inside the provincial jail compound where Regional and
Municipal Trial Court Judges held hearings inside the two salas on
the Justice on Wheels bus..
The Justice on Wheels according
to Puno is roaming around the country from Friday to Sunday
specifically in areas with issues related to insurgency and the MILF.
The program is intended to assist the marginalized sector as
complimentary effort of the regular court. “I hope this will be
pursued by my successor,” Puno stressed.
Puno said that since the
introduction of JOW program last year, at least 1,450 overdue cases
have been resolved specifically the juvenile and violation against
women cases while 4,614 served with mediation, 8,100 free legal
lectures particularly to the members of indigenous people, 781 free
legal advice and 6,135 free medical services among the poor stricken
communities.
Chief Justice Puno also met the
village officials of the 70 barangays including the members of Lupon
ng Tagapamayapa.
Speaking before the local
officials here, Puno urged the strengthening of the Barangay justice
system. He stressed that it was the most effective justice system
and our Filipino ancestors even before the Spanish colonization
introduced it.
“Barangay officials have
executive, legislative and judicial powers in other words there’s
a lot of trust and confidence in you that’s why your ability to
strengthen democratic process is highly recognized. You’re in the
forefront of the justice system throughout the country,” he said.
The Chief justice also met with
court officials and IBP members held at the People’s Hall of the
Albay Capitol. He also inspected the Hall of Justice in Legazpi that
was ruined in 2006 when super typhoon Reming battered the Bicol
region.
The construction or rebuilding of
the Hall of Justice in this city might take several more years due
to lack of budget in the judiciary department. Puno also led the
inauguration of the newly constructed Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) Albay chapter building headed by its new president
lawyer Maryilou Duka-Castillo.
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